After Hours
by Zanmat0
Summary: Little bits of domestic fluff for Souji/Naoto. And the cat.
1. Sleeping In

**I fell asleep during a car ride. This story was inspired by this.**

 **Yeah, it's silly. Simple domestic fluff.**

* * *

Yosuke sighed again as he pulled up to the large apartment building, looking in the mirror pointing at the man sleeping in the back seat. He set the car to park and quietly got out, opening the door to the back and undoing Souji's seat belt. As a result, Souji was freed from his bond and simply flopped onto the seat. His friend chuckled and shut the door, taking care to lower the window slightly beforehand. His hands slipped into his pockets as he went up the staircase, recalling the correct door number and ringing the bell. It only took a few moments before someone answered, so he put on a friendly smile and took a quick breath. There was a brief moment of envy for Souji when he saw the warm smile on Naoto's face as she opened the door. Maybe Chie would do that for him one day.

...Nah.

"Welcome ho-...oh. Hello, Yosuke-san."

"Hi, Naoto-kun."

"What brings you here?" She paused to quickly glance past him, as if she was looking for someone else. "Is Souji-kun…?"

"He's sleeping in the car."

"Oh!...Oh."

"Remember when the doctor said his exhaustion would build up?"

"Yes?"

"And Souji waved it off?"

"Definitely."

"It caught up."

"...Ah."

"Yeah, he's...in the car, still. Here's the keys."

She took them with no argument, but concern governed her voice when she asked, "Thank you. Would you like to spend the night? It's quite dark out at this hour."

"No, no. It's fine, I'll just catch a taxi. Do you need help bringing him up, or…?"

"Thank you, but I can manage just fine. Are you sure you want to take a taxi? We have more than enough room."

"I'm sure. Thanks, though."

Naoto looked conflicted by this, but she nodded quickly and shut the door as she stepped out into the hallway, toeing her shoes on as she did. "Well, I suppose I should get him now."

"Sure. I'll walk you to the car."

The two caught up on recent events as they made their way down the stairs, making more than a few jokes about the past or at Souji's expense. Yosuke took a beat to smile at Naoto, who smiled and laughed much more openly since Souji offered a place for her in his apartment. Things change, he supposed. "Well, here we are. He's in the backseat."

"Thank you again, Yosuke-san, for bringing him back here."

"Oh, no. It's fine. Couldn't just leave him at the school. Anyway, I'll see ya. Good night, Naoto-kun."

"Likewise. Good night, Yosuke-san."

She waved to Yosuke one more time before unlocking the car door and taking a peek inside. A small giggle threatened to escape as she saw him sprawled out on the back seat, but she bit her lip for a moment before touching his leg and whispering, "Souji-kun?"

"Mmf...hm? Naoto?"

She smiled softly at how his voice was slurred by sleep, reaching forward and brushing some hair out of his face. "You fell asleep."

"Oh. I-I did? Oh."

He yawned and covered his mouth with his hand, sitting up in the car seat and looking around dazedly. "I...fell asleep in the car, huh."

"You did. Come on, you need a real bed."

He took her hand silently and followed her into the apartment building, rubbing sleep out of his eyes as they eventually made it to their door. A small smile found his face when he noticed that her hand never left his on the entire way up. "Are you still awake?"

"No, I'm sleepwalking."

"Oh. That's nice."

"April Fools'."

"Oh, you card."

"..."

"Souji?"

"Hehe...tarot cards."

She led him into the apartment with a soft laugh, tugging him towards her and into a hug as he lazily shut the door with his foot. He hummed happily when his hands linked around the small of her back, and he relaxed into the embrace when his mind caught up, sighing happily into into her hair. Naoto nuzzled into his shirt and murmured softly, "You're really tuckered out, aren't you?"

"Hm...maybe."

"Go get settled in. I'll change and bring you some clean clothes."

"Thank you, magic lady."

Naoto pulled out of the simple hug and gently pushed him towards their bedroom, heading into the bathroom after she locked their front door. Souji glanced around the room for a moment before promptly faceplanting into the bed. At that moment, he felt a newfound appreciation for the soft bedsheets, groaning softly and taking handfuls of the cloth as he buried his face into a pillow. He silently rolled over to his side and did his very best to keep from falling asleep as he waited for Naoto to come back.

"Souji-kun? I brought you some...oh."

Naoto smiled and shook her head as she noticed the soft rise and fall of his chest; there was no way he was acting. Souji was asleep, again. Placing the small stack of clothes on a bedside cabinet, she straightened her pajama shirt, gracefully crawled onto the bed, and gently rubbed his shoulder. "Souji? Are you awake?"

"..."

"I didn't think so."

She sighed and smiled again, gently tickling his side to get him to move just enough for her to pull the blanket over both of them. A light tug on his arm let her drape hers over his waist and snugly put one of her legs around his. She purred softly as she acquainted herself with Souji's natural warmth again, a pleasure that was multiplied when she felt his arm go under her head as a pillow while his other went around her back. She looked up to see his smile and sleepy gaze, his voice a soft whisper as simply said, "Good?"

Naoto beamed at him, burying her cheek in his shirt and practically chirping, "Good."

Souji closed his eyes again and mumbled a "g'night" as Naoto followed suit and quickly fell asleep, but not before saying, "Good night, Souji-kun."

* * *

 **This is domestic, right? I want to make sure I'm not...y'know, making a mistake with my wording.**

 **That counts as an April Fools' joke, right? I can call this my April Fools' story, right? No? Yeah, no.**

 **Anyway, hope you enjoyed. Speaking of enjoyable stories, check out LeafyDream. Stories are always a good read.**

 **Till next time, all. Thanks for reading.**


	2. A Typical Morning

**I feel like I'm getting really sappy...**

* * *

Naoto woke up alone the next morning, roused from her sleep by an alarm clock that wasn't there the night before. She groaned and fumbled for the snooze button a few times before her fingers found it, applying just enough force to stop the infernal sound and bring silence back into the room. A moment of her staring at the ceiling passed, followed by another grumble as she turned over and curled into the blankets. She opened one eye to gaze at Souji's side of the bed before reaching over and seizing his pillow. She hugged it to her tightly and made a content little noise when she felt it was still warm from when Souji used it. The warmth of the pillow and the blankets wrapped around her threatened to lull her back to sleep when she realized something.

Souji.

Where was he?

Naoto buried her nose into the pillow for a moment more before carefully placing it back in its correct place, rolling off the bed and onto her feet as soon as she was done. She took a few minutes in the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth, reaching up afterwards to ruffle her hair into its usual fashion. The mirror saw her straighten out her pajamas before she slid out of the room and headed to the kitchen. Changing could wait; it was the weekend and she was feeling just a bit lazy because of that. The Featherman shirt was a little embarrassing, but Souji never judged her for her choice in clothing. "Souji-kun?"

"In here. Coffee's ready."

She peeked into the kitchen first, then bounded to the counter, picking up her coffee mug and let the steam warm her face. A quick glance at the cup itself lent her an easy smile; Souji had insisted on the custom designs, ones that he drafted himself based on "a simple thought". "Good morning."

She looked up from the cup to see Souji smiling at her, a gesture she returned with a small grin of her own. "Good morning, Souji-kun."

"I set the alarm, sorry. I know you hate it if you wake up too late."

Naoto stifled a yawn and took a sip of her coffee, sighing happily as she felt newfound energy flow leisurely through her. "Thank you. What time is it?"

"Hm…just a few minutes past ten. It's Saturday, so…"

"That's perfect."

Souji watched her drink, then turned to the TV which was on, and a certain friend of theirs was cheerily reading out the weather forecast. " _I say...you can look forward to sunny days for most of the week! Friday's looking kinda iffy, but I'll do my best."_

"She's having fun, isn't she?"

"Oh, tons. She loves the job."

"That's good."

He leaned on the countertop and unconsciously watched the TV, Naoto following suit soon after. She took another sip and managed to put her mug down before Souji carefully draped an arm around her shoulder and pulled her close. This was hardly unexpected, as she usually welcomed Souji's tactile habits, but what came after was something somewhat rare.

"Love you."

Naoto blushed softly at his words, but still smiled fondly as he pressed his cheek to her hair. "The feeling's mutual."

She laughed heartily as he nuzzled against her neck, swatting his hands away as they danced mischievously along her hips. "Y-you stop that- wah!"

"Wait, I gotta check if you're still ticklish~."

"Hehe-don't-hah! Stop!"

"Don't stop? Gotcha."

"Souji!"

Her lower back gently bumped against the counter as Souji chuckled and continued his pursuit. He knew her sides were sensitive, and her now-permanent lack of binding helped accentuate her ticklishness. Souji acted naturally oblivious to her pleas, the both of them falling to the floor in a tangle of limbs and laughs. He easily took the brunt of the fall but still managed to pin her underneath him, cooing playfully as his hands poked and prodded wherever she was sensitive. His efforts elicited a different twitch or pitch of laugh from her as she squirmed under him, and he wanted to find every different way he could make her squeal. A few minutes of spirited tickling passed, and Souji stopped when he saw that Naoto was starting to tear up from all the laughter.

She lay on the floor, thoroughly winded from Souji's attack while a few errant giggles bubbled out of her. Souji grinned at how relaxed she was, reaching down to brush some hair off her face and touch her chin. At the contact, her eyes darted to meet his and her small smile changed into a coy smirk. "We're following the cliché, are we?"

He pretended to consider for a moment before answering with a simple, "Dutifully."

Before Naoto could get out any rendition of "I thought so", Souji had leaned down and was kissing her. She smiled into the contact and reciprocated heartily, pressing her palms to his chest before letting them slide past and rest around his shoulders. Souji's hands remained on either side of Naoto's head as they almost lazily exchanged kisses, taking breaks only to gaze and smile at each other. Everything else was forgotten as their coffee and the TV were left as they were. " _This is Mariko Kusumi, hoping you have a wonderful day. The sun's shining right about now, so get out there and have some fun!"_

* * *

 **Kinda wrote this on a whim, so...that and I love the idea that as stoic as Naoto is, she's still ticklish.**

 **Hope you enjoyed, and be sure to listen to the weather girl's advice.**


	3. Beating the Heat

**Allergies….ugh.**

 **Weather was warm, so I threw this together. Enjoy.**

* * *

"This weather is ridiculous…"

"Uh-huh."

Naoto groaned from where she was laying on the couch, fanning her face with a rolled up newspaper. Letting out a small grunt of effort, she leaned over the cushions and looked at Souji. Because of the heat, he was simply wearing a pair of long shorts and no shirt. He was typing away at something on his laptop, and the only indication that he was suffering like she was was the sweat glistening on his brow. Normally, the sight of his not-inconsiderable muscles wouldn't fail to get a blush out of her, but that would only heat up her face more. So she refused, out of pure willpower. She tugged the collar of her tank top and fell back on the couch, committing her best effort to reading her book in peace. She lasted about fifteen minutes before she groaned again and put the book down. For a moment, the only sound in the air was Souji's fingers tapping on long strings of keys. "Souji-kun…"

"Yeah?"

"How are you managing?"

"Can't complain...wish the AC was working, but yeah."

"Oh, good. We're on the same boat then."

Naoto went back to being miserable for a while until she heard the fridge door open. Not bothering to look this time, she called out, "What are you up to over there?"

"Oh, just...getting the solution to your problem. Owf, thaf cold…"

That...was weird. "Souji-kun?"

He sat next to her and bounced a bit in his seat, earning him a quizzical look from Naoto as she sat up. He didn't say anything, simply pointing to his mouth and bouncing again.

"Souji, I think that would only make the heat more unbearable."

Her only answer was a quick shake of his head followed by another point. She gave him a look before sidling over and settling herself on his lap. He smiled widely at her when she pinched his cheeks gently, declaring, "When we look back on this, it was your fault."

All he did was smile coyly, and she couldn't help but sigh and lean forward a bit. She carefully pressed her lips to his, reacquainting herself with the feel of his cool mouth against hers-

Wait. What?

She squeaked in surprise when she felt him feeding her something very, very cold, but his hand on her back stopped her from pulling away. She felt her body slowly cooling down, a low moan coming from her as she felt herself slowly relax from the contact. Her arms slid from his chest to around his shoulders, lazily tugging him closer as he tilted his head a bit. The strange chill turned from foreign to intoxicating, and Naoto found herself relishing the cold that flowed through her, a stark contrast to the normally warming pecks they shared whenever they felt like it.

By now, the ice Souji shared was long melted, but she didn't want it to end just yet. Her tongue was playfully fighting with his, a fight that she was fine with losing if it meant they could prolong this that much longer. Her body tensed, and her nails dug into his shirt when his arms tightened at the small of her back. Finally, she pulled away, brushing some hair behind her ear as a blush flared on her cheeks. Souji simply smiled and reached up to brush some saliva off her lip, taking a quiet tone as he pointed something out.

"Welp...ice cube melted."

"A-...Ah. Right. S-sorry."

He shook his head, letting her adjust her position so she was straddling his leg rather than sitting on it. His smile turned into a small grin. "So this was my fault, huh?"

"Heh...yes, it was."

Naoto shared his smile for a moment, then thought of the next appropriate move in their little game. "May I have another?"

"Hm? Oh, sure, let me just-"

"Not what I meant."

He raised an eyebrow at that, unsure of what she practically sang as she grinned wolfishly at him. He found his answer when her lips were on his again, the force pushing him down onto the cushions as she gracefully followed him down. She could ignore the heat with this, at least for a moment.

That could be called mission accomplished, right?

* * *

 **Hehe...ice cube kisses. I haven't written out the details in a kiss for a good while, so I wanted to get some practice in.**

 **Aside from that, I hope you enjoyed. Till next time.**


	4. Reminiscence

**I was starting another playthrough of P4G, and the first scene where Souji pokes the TV inspired me. Short fare for today, but it's more of a celebration of sorts. 4/13 is where Souji discovered he could stick his hand in a TV. And gracefully!**

 **Enjoy.**

* * *

"Souji-kun?"

Naoto padded into the living room after her search of the bedroom, the guest room, and the closet. Souji had strange ideas of pranks and fun, but she sensed that there was something off about today. By now, he would've sprung his trap. "In here."

"Are you alright?"

He looked over his shoulder from where he was sitting in front of the TV, wearing a small smile as he motioned her over. "I'm fine. Just feeling nostalgic, that's all."

"Oh?"

Naoto sat against his back and hugged him from behind, her arms going around his shoulders and linking just below the collar of his shirt. He responded with a gentle squeeze with one of his hands before reaching forward and letting his fingertips brush against the TV screen.

Nothing happened.

They both failed to stifle sighs of relief, followed by chuckles that eventually grew into open laughs. "Ah, I never thought I'd be so glad to see that."

Naoto hummed in agreement and pressed her cheek to the back of his head, her embrace tightening just a bit when a question popped into her head. "How _did_ you find out you could do that?"

"It's uh...it's kinda embarrassing."

"Come on. How bad could it be?"

Souji scratched his face sheepishly before starting, his voice gaining more confidence from Naoto's hug. "Well...it was pretty early in my visit to Inaba. Chie said Yosuke and I should check out the Midnight Channel…it was popular, y'know? One night, I did, and...someone's face appeared. Fuzzy, obviously."

Naoto waited patiently for him to finish, one of her hand moving past his face to play with his hair. "I dunno what came over me, but...I tried to touch the screen. Then, I, uh…kinda slipped. Something was trying to grab me, I think."

"You didn't punch it, did you?"

"Nope. Fell and hit my head. Scared Nanako, too, I'm sure."

"Hm...I would've liked to see clumsy you."

"Hmf. You would've, huh? Stick around."

She smiled at that. "I plan to."

Souji closed his eyes and relished the warmth he was sharing with Naoto, eventually murmuring, "Heh. Who would've thought some quiet kid from the city would grab some friends and save the world. It's...weird to think about."

"Well, there was also that time you stopped an angry delinquent from summoning a god."

"Yeah. Made some new friends, too."

"Mhm. And then there was the danci-"

"Aah...haha. Right. That."

"Admit it, you had fun."

"Okay...I did. So did you."

Souji plucked Naoto's hands off him and turned around, wrapping one hand around her slender shoulders and taking her chin in his other hand. "It's been a while since it all began, hasn't it?"

"Yes...and I wouldn't trade a minute of that time for anything."

Her hands linked around the back of his neck, and she smiled fondly at him as he leaned in just a bit. "Took the words right out of my mouth."

He pressed his lips to her soft ones, letting her pull him close to deepen it just a bit. They continued like that for a few more moments, keeping it short for the sake of the time. It was fairly late, just past midnight. Naoto let out a breathy sigh and smirked at him. "And you took the breath out of mine."

Souji simply smiled and kissed her again, and this time she pushed him off gently in favor of reminding him, "Souji, we should go to bed."

"Mhm."

They fell over, the detective pinned underneath the former leader as he nuzzled against her stomach. Their hands met and their fingers entwined as Souji glanced up at her, pulling himself up to kiss her softly. He winked cheekily at her blush, planting a lighter peck on her nose as she mumbled something under her breath. "Want me to carry you?"

She stared up at him for a few seconds, giving Souji the perfect look at her gradually reddening face. She hesitated before slowly raising her arms towards him. The silverette beamed at her, reaching down to scoop up his girlfriend and head to bed.

Truly, he was lucky to be where he was.

* * *

 **I'll be honest, it's not that I hate Dancing All Night. I just know nothing about it, so I don't want to make any mistakes regarding the story or what happens.**

 **I'll play it eventually.**

 **Maybe.**

 **...Possibly.**

… **Well, aside from that, check out LeafyDream, Rayokarna, etc. for more of...this. We're holdin' it down here. We got this.**

 **Till next time!**


	5. Stubborn

**Pretty sure this is the first fight I've written between these two.**

 **Thanks to LeafyDream for the idea.**

* * *

Naoto checked her duffel one more time before nodding to herself and closing it again. This would do for a few weeks. She picked it up and snuck towards the door, but any hope of leaving quietly were squashed when she heard a tired voice calling out.

"Leaving so soon?"

She winced and turned to face Souji leaning on the bedroom door, quietly placing her bag on the floor near the front. Souji simply watched her patiently and groaned a bit as he moved off the wall. "It's...four in the morning."

"I know-"

"Then what would _this_ be."

He gestured to the bag by the door and faced her again. "Were you going to leave a note?"

"I...I was."

He sighed and nodded slowly. "I see...where are you headed?"

"Souji, it's…"

"...Confidential. Alright. And you didn't want me to come along?"

Naoto shook her head and came forward, reaching down to take his hands in hers. She looked at their joined hands awkwardly as she thought of her answer. "It could be dangerous."

"Isn't that a reason why I should come?"

"I don't want you to be hurt again. Once was enough for me."

Souji gently broke the hold she had on his hands, reaching up to cup her cheek in his palm. He carefully stroked her skin with his thumb, and she couldn't suppress a slight shudder as he looked at her. "I was doing what I thought was right."

"What you think is right might not always be the best choice."

Souji frowned slightly at the irritation that was creeping into her voice, pausing his ministrations to murmur, "When someone comes at you with a knife, I can't help but try to help. It's instinctive-"

She growled softly, slapped his hand away and jabbed a finger at the long scar that was adorning his forearm. It had already healed, but the mark would remain for a long time. "Your instincts are going to get you hurt. Killed, even!"

Souji looked surprised for a moment before half-closing his eyes and saying, "And you're saying that you can manage on your own?"

"Of course I can! I've been a detective for years now, I can take care of myself-!"

"And what would you call the last case's aftermath? You were damn near assaulted in a courtroom! The bailiff was on the other side of the room- I was right there. What did you expect me to do?"

"I expect you to trust me enough for me to handle it."

Souji crossed his arms and shook his head, feeling anger boil in his stomach as he ground out, "Handling it, was not the problem. You can handle it. I know that much. But that doesn't mean you have eyes on the back of your head, don't you get that?"

Naoto huffed looked at her bag again, but she knew simply walking out would only anger them both. She remained silent as Souji paused before continuing in a quieter tone. "There's nothing dishonorable about being helped."

Naoto glared at him for a moment before turning away and letting her voice sink to almost a whisper. "It's not about honor."

Souji watched her back for a moment before stepping forward and wrapping his arms around her waist, pressing his cheek gently against her crown. She quietly melded into the embrace, raising her own arms to clasp his. He held her like that for a few moments before murmuring, "You understand that I do what I do because I want to protect you...don't you?"

"Of course I do…"

Souji paused and kissed the back of her head. "...Well, if that's your decision, then I won't object any more."

He turned her around and smoothed the sleeves of her shirt, adjusting her tie and poking her forehead gently. She rubbed the area and looked at him in confusion as he picked up her bag and carefully handed it to her. "Souji?"

"I'll stay. Go on, and stay safe."

"I…"

"Naoto." He smiled at her, and the sadness reflected in his eyes broke her heart. She lost this fight. It was hard to even say _he_ won this fight. She had half a mind to drop the bag, give him a hug, and say she was going to stay, but… "Go. You have a job to do, right?"

She swallowed the lump in her throat and nodded awkwardly, picking up her bag and slipping out the door before he could look her in the eyes again. Souji watched the door shut and stared at it for a few more minutes before sighing in defeat.

Without another thought, he dragged himself to bed.

* * *

 **Yes, there will be resolution between them. And it will be fluffy.**

 **Till then!**


	6. Reconciliation

**I put my other little stories on hold till I could finish this one.**

 **Now it's finished.**

 **...Eeeeeenjoy!**

* * *

Souji checked his phone for what felt like the tenth time that evening. Still nothing. The lack of even a text message since Naoto left stung more than he thought it would, but he could hardly blame her. He made a mistake.

Sighing, he dropped it on the carpet and crossed his arms behind his head. Two weeks and not a modicum of contact from Naoto. Of course, he tried his best to ignore the implications behind that, but there was still that feeling gnawing at him whenever his fingers found his phone.

Tora jumped on his chest and started to groom himself leisurely. Souji simply watched for a moment and tickled his ears every now and then. Even with the little cat giving him company, he still missed his Princess. Regardless, he did his best to force himself to relax, letting his hand rest on Tora's back.

He let out a long sigh as he felt himself drifting off to sleep, his hand falling from Tora's fur to hit the floor. Tora curled up more and purred softly, content to follow his buddy's lead.

...What was that clicking sound? The door?

But the sofa was comfortable...

He grunted softly when he felt a weight pressing down on his chest just a bit more than before, and, weirdly enough, it made him feel oddly nostalgic when a comforting warmth started to flow through him. This...was not his cat.

"Tora…?"

Souji opened one eye and exhaled shakily when he saw Naoto was straddling his chest. She gazed at him carefully as he watched her in turn, so he slowly reached up to brush her cheek with the back of his hand. She remained silent, but leaned ever so slightly into the touch as he simply said, "...Hey."

"Hey."

Aside from the short reply, Naoto said nothing else; it would seem that seeing him again made her rather pensive. "Are you okay?"

She shook her head and let the guilt in her eyes show as she murmured, "...I'm sorry."

He raised an eyebrow as she shifted nervously, his hands latching onto her hips to keep her steady. "What for?"

"After we...after we fought, I made no attempt to contact you while I was gone. No calls, no emails, no messages...I didn't...I was afraid that you'd-"

Naoto's breath caught in her throat, but she felt herself slowly relax when Souji thumbed her cheek. He rubbed the spot gently and offered her a quiet smile that gave her the drive to continue. "Ah, I sound like a fool...I was afraid that you were angry."

She was surprised when he scoffed softly and smiled more openly; that was one reaction she definitely didn't expect. He sat up and leaned on one elbow while using his other hand to cup her cheek. "I can't be angry at someone who's just doing their job."

"Regardless. I shouldn't have been so upset with you. My pride was...a catalyst. And you looked so hurt when I left, and-"

"Calm down."

She closed her eyes and took in a deep breath when Souji put his hands on both her cheeks. His touch was something she had yearned for since the talk, and being able to feel it again let much of her stress flow out with her breath. What snapped her out of it was Souji gently tugging her cheeks and tut-tutting. Souji never tut-tutted. "Of course it hurt."

Hearing that was more discouraging than she thought, and Naoto briefly contemplated getting off him and leaving him be, but his hands on her sides both felt good and seemed to be a plea for her to stay. She settled for, "I'm sorry."

"But you don't have anything to be sorry for. I was out of line. I have more than enough faith in you to let you do your work, but I just...want to be there. I want to support you however I can."

For the first time that day, she smiled genuinely and leaned down to cuddle against him. His arm went around her back and his fingers traced the lines on her jacket. This was good. She sighed and nuzzled against his chest before asking softly, "So are you angry with me?"

"'Course not."

"...I'm glad." She looked up and him and shuffled just enough to let her lips meet his in a small, affectionate kiss. "Very much so."

"Yeah?"

"Mhm."

Souji took her chin in his fingers and kissed her again, letting his desire to be with her again be pushed into the gesture. Their eyes shut at the same time, and Naoto felt herself melding into the kiss; she took handfuls of his shirt as he held her tighter, unwilling to let him go after two weeks of nothing at all. It felt greedy, but she took everything he had to offer and repaid it in kind. Her back arched just a bit as she tasted him, but they had to break apart for air at some point. Souji watched her breathe deep for a moment, murmuring, "That makes up for the lack of contact, and then some…"

She laughed breathlessly and moved enough to kiss his forehead, gazing down at him fondly when he took her hand and kissed her fingers. "I missed you, too, Souji."

He beamed at that, pleased that his silent message was understood. Scooting off the couch, he gathered her in his arms and let her wrap her arms around his neck. She noted that they were headed to the bedroom, but he _was_ napping before she decided to sit on him. Perhaps that wasn't the best idea.

"Oh...heheh."

Naoto made a puzzled little noise at his sheepish chuckle, easing herself out of his arms and walking further into the bedroom. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, and even the bedsheets were neat and tidy.

...Wait.

She reached down and pressed a hand to the bed, raising an eyebrow at how cold the sheets felt. "This hasn't been used a while…"

A quick look at Souji confirmed her admittedly far-fetched deductions; he scratched the back of his head and slowly explained. "My self-imposed punishment, I guess you could say. I'll only use the bed if you do."

She blinked. Then did the same thing once more. That was...surprisingly sweet, actually.

She smiled warmly at him and took his hand, pulling him to the still-undisturbed bed. "Well, I'm using it now. Join me?"

He offered a small grin before she yanked him onto the blankets, easily receiving her as she fell onto him. Tora peeked into the room and sneezed upon seeing the two lovers together. He scampered back to the couch Souji was lying on and made himself at home.

It was warm.

* * *

 **If you think this is a strange ending, I don't blame you.**

 **Thanks for reading! Till next time.**


	7. A Lazy Saturday

**The theme behind this little bit was warmth. I've written Souji as a fairly tactile person, and I like to think that Naoto would welcome that kind of thing. I think it's sweet. Thus, I write! Simple, really, but that's how I do.**

 **As always, hope you enjoy.**

* * *

Naoto woke up first, blinking slowly as she groaned and looked at the ceiling. Squeezing her eyes shut from the morning sunlight, she reached over and patted Souji's chest. He simply huffed and pulled her closer, burying his nose in her hair and muttering something that _sounded_ like "sleep now". She closed her eyes again and took in his scent for a moment, opening them afterwards and saying, "Souji?"

"Mm. 'S Saturday."

Naoto sat up, resting her back on the headboard, and yawned, accepting Souji as he shifted just enough to wrap his arms around her waist and press his cheek into her stomach. She chuckled softly at the sleepy gesture, draping her arm around his shoulder and carefully grooming his hair. He nuzzled against her and mumbled, "C'mon. Half hour."

"I don't think so. Someone has to make breakfast."

"Uhh...whose turn was it…?"

"I'll do it again, then you owe me two. How's that?"

"Can't we just cuddle?"

Naoto smiled and pulled him against her, hugging him tight for a moment before gently letting him rest on her pillow. "Good?"

"Fine."

She replaced Souji's hold on her with a pillow, smiling softly as she padded to the bathroom. Souji hugged it to him and grumbled -it was hardly a decent substitute- as Naoto quietly shut the door behind her.

Sleep threatened to overtake Souji again as he stole whatever heat he could glean off Naoto's pillow. Normally, he was a morning person, but he was prone to having lazy Saturdays.

He turned his head only slightly when he felt the bed dip a bit; Naoto hugged him from behind and squeezed close, breathing a soft sigh as Souji put his hand over hers. She was much warmer than earlier, presumably because she was wearing fresh laundry to prepare for the day. Souji understood that, but he pushed it to the back of his mind, content to enjoy the contact. "Aren't you going to go and, uh...do whatever?"

"Mm. Maybe half an hour isn't out of the question."

He stayed where he was for a moment before slowly turning and returning the embrace, smiling slightly when he felt her legs tangle with his. When Naoto looked up and gave him a small smile, he pressed his lips to her forehead and stayed there for a moment. "I like the way you think."

Her smile grew a bit at that, and she nuzzled into his shirt more to share their body heat. "Of course you do."

Nonetheless, the two fell asleep quickly, content to let a little bit more of the morning drift by. An hour or two later, Naoto's eyes opened again, squinting a bit as her vision slowly cleared. Souji was sprawled out on his back, a pose almost identical to Naoto's as she felt his bicep under her head. Muttering something under her breath, she smiled and gently patted Souji's cheek. His face twitched a bit, and he looked away when she reached for his nose. "Half an hour as agreed, and then some. Time to wake up."

He opened his eyes at that, glancing over at her and pulling her close again. "How's another thirty sound?"

She giggled lightly at that, sitting up and pushing his shoulder playfully. "Nope. Come on. I'll start breakfast."

Souji finally sat up, rubbing his eyes and sighing wistfully. "...Alright, fine."

* * *

 **I like writing with the idea that a sense of relaxedness comes across. I hope this made a good example.**

 **I hope this was a good read. Till next time!**


	8. Caught in the Rain

**Contrary to much popular belief, there are no references to pina coladas, yoga, or anything else that I don't remember from that song. Just rain. And, uh...kitties.**

 **Hope you enjoy!**

* * *

"Y-you know...this is your fault."

"Meow."

Naoto sighed and hugged her arms, a nigh useless effort given how cold it was outside and how her coat was soaked from the sudden storm. She shakily reached down to stroke the cat that had taken residence on her lap. If there was anything that she could take from this whole ordeal, it was that it was raining (which was actually kind of nice), and she had practically adopted a cat that she had stumbled upon on the walk home. "Are you cold?"

As if it understood, the cat shook its head and nuzzled against Naoto's knuckles. "Heh...you know, I have a cat back home. I think you two will get along."

"Mew."

She shuddered and looked at the wind blowing fiercely around the overhang she was taking shelter under. Blowing some of her breath into her palms, she looked down at the cat and suppressed a shiver. Suddenly, a heavy, warm jacket fell around her shoulders, and a man sat down heavily next to her. "Picked a good day to walk home."

She scoffed and scratched the cat's head, nodding politely to the man. "Hello, Souji."

"Yo. Told you it would rain today."

"And I believed you. I simply forgot my umbrella."

Souji noticed the cat sitting on her lap for the first time since he arrived, smiling at it and stroking its ear. "And the little girl, here?"

"I found...her while I was walking home. She looked cold and...when I looked at her she started following me."

"Hm…" He smiled again when she bit his finger. "She took my favorite pillow."

Naoto shivered and drew the coat tighter around her, muttering a quick thank-you when Souji scooted closer and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. He moved his head just a bit so she could comfortably rest her head on his chest. "We'll warm you up, just a bit, then we'll head home. Parked the car just over there."

"O-okay."

"You're coming with us, too, kitty."

"Meow."

 **Ten minutes later.**

Pressure on the gas.

Ease off. Slowly apply brake.

Turn signal and wait. Look and turn.

Souji looked in the mirror once again, slowly letting out a breath as he slowed the car down. Naoto lay in the back seat, her hair splayed on a towel and his coat acting as a blanket. The cat was lying on her chest, sleeping quietly along with her new friend. It was when he stopped at a red light when he heard the shifting. "Long day, ah?"

"Mmf. That's one way to describe it."

"Sorry, I didn't bring you a change of clothes."

"I'm grateful you came to pick me up."

The light turned green, so Souji focused on driving again. "Of course. Not about to leave you in the cold on a day like this."

He couldn't see her smile, but he heard it creep into her voice as she said, "Thank you, Souji."

"Mmmhm."

She didn't say anything more, so Souji simply said, "We have a bit of a drive ahead of us. Maybe catch some Z's?"

"I'll do that."

"Alright."

…Ease off. Slowly apply brake. Listen to make sure Naoto and the cat were comfortable.

Press on the gas and turn off the radio.

 **Twenty minutes later.**

Souji walked into their apartment with the new cat perched carefully on his shoulder, leading Naoto by her hand to their bedroom. When they arrived, he let the cat hop off as he took his coat from Naoto and touched her hair. Still a little damp, but..."Okay, that's dry enough now. Good thing I brought the towel."

He took her hands in his and lent his warmth to her, smiling in response to her own when she looked up at him. However, he could tell that she was still rather cold. He carefully put his hands on Naoto's shoulders and tugged a bit at her wet shirt. "C'mon. Let's get you out of these."

"Souji, now's not the time…"

Contrary to her words, she turned around and started unbuttoning her shirt; Souji helped ease the sleeves off her shoulders. He gently kissed her cold skin, taking some amusement from how she shuddered against the touch. "I only tried that once. Your clothes are soaked, detective."

"Trying implies that you failed. Turn around."

Souji sighed dramatically and turned, crossing his arms and looking at the pile of clean, dry clothes waiting for Naoto on the cabinet. "I'll be in the shower."

"Mhm. Take your time."

Souji gathered the newcomer in one hand and let himself out of the room. Suddenly, she hopped out of his grasp and ran into the living room, leaving Souji puzzled until he saw what she did. Tora opened his eyes and stared at the furry black ball barreling towards him, but he was content to stay curled up on the couch. Souji raised an eyebrow as the cat bumped her head against Tora's, and he headed to the kitchen to fetch a kettle and some water. Something warm would do everyone some good.

He was just stirring the mugs filled with the steaming hot cocoa when he heard the water stop and the bathroom door opening. Humming quietly to himself, he looked over at the two cats who were now napping on the couch. It would seem his worries were for naught. He whistled a quick tune as he waited for the water to heat up, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he did. A few minutes later, the kettle's whistle joined his own and he shut off the head with a slight flourish of his hand. As he poured out the steaming water, he heard the clatters of the cabinets in the bedroom. Stirring in a bit of honey for flavor, he waited another moment and called out. "Naoto? Are you-"

"Done."

He didn't bat an eye when she strode into the kitchen, clad in her rare Featherman shirt and trousers combo. "Special occasion?"

"I seem to have adopted another cat."

Souji passed her a cup of tea as she leaned back on the counter, quietly watching the two cats "getting along". Tora was napping, while the newcomer was insistently vying for his attention. "I think we'll manage."

"We'll have to take her to the vet."

"I'm free tomorrow."

Naoto looked at him and sipped her tea, smiling softly and reaching over to squeeze his hand. "Sounds like a plan."

He responded by gently breaking the hold, scooting close enough to wrap an arm around her shoulder and bump his head to hers. "What do you wanna name her?"

The detective stroked her chin as she thought. "Hmm…"

* * *

 **I can't think of another name for the new kitty. Que lastima.**


	9. Older, Not Wiser

**Y'know, what if, right?**

* * *

"Naoto?"

"Yes?"

Naoto looked up from her latest book and watched as Souji idly wound some of his hair around a finger. "Do you think I look older than I am?"

Well, that was different. "No. What brought this line of thought on?"

"I visited Uncle the other day. His beard's getting greyer."

"I see...but, what does that have to do with your appearance?"

"Do you think I'll ever have grey hair? Or, er...greyer hair?"

Naoto's book shut with a dull thump as she looked at him, careful not to move the arm that was around her shoulder. He glanced at her and smiled slightly before frowning contemplatively. "...What?"

"Well...you know, people get grey hairs when they're stressed out, or as they grow older. Likely the latter, but...my hair's already grey."

"I maintain that it's silver."

"Already silver. So...am I gonna start growing black hair?"

"I hope not. I rather like your hair the way it is."

Souji seemed satisfied by the answer, taking her hand and squeezing it fondly before falling peacefully silent...for about three minutes.

"But what if I do start growing black hair…"

"...I assume that, with all the stress you've piled upon yourself during the TV case, you would already have...black hair."

"It wasn't that bad-"

"Dojima-san had to ask me to watch over you for a few days."

"I thought you just wanted to spend time with me."

Naoto felt her face warm slightly at that, a slight stammer entering her voice as she explained. She hid the surfacing blush by resting her head on his shoulder. "T-that was simply a perk of being your caretaker for a while."

"Uh-huh."

Souji seemed contented by where the conversation had gone, falling silent again and resting his head carefully against hers. Unfortunately for Naoto, the image of Souji with any hair color other than silver was starting to bother her.

 _Naoto didn't know what was waiting for her when Souji came home that day. The door opened, the door closed, and she faintly heard Souji's coat land on the coat hanger. "Welcome home!"_

" _Hey, Naoto…"_

 _That sounded off. She put the finishing touches on tonight's dinner and put a lid on the skillet, moving it off the stove and shutting off the heat. "Are you okay?"_

" _Eh…" He walked into the kitchen and smiled tiredly, but Naoto couldn't help but gasp in shock at what she saw. "Long day."_

"Hey."

Her head shot up from her book when Souji patted her cheek with the back of his hand, blinking a few times in surprise when she saw that his hair was thankfully still silver. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath at this. "You okay…? You, er...went pale for a second there."

Finally, Naoto let out a sigh. "I'll take that as a no…"

"I can't imagine you with black hair."

"Oh?"

"It's iconic of you, no?"

"I'm not exactly famous to begin with."

Naoto smiled and kissed his cheek, reaching up to scratch his head and murmuring, "I hope you don't go and buy hair dye tomorrow to mess with me."

He smirked and caught her hand, pulling her closing so his lips could brush against hers. "No promises."

The ensuing kiss distracted her, but she couldn't help but worry that he wasn't kidding.

 **The next day.**

"Souji-kun, no!"

"But why~?"

"Because I know you're just trying to fool around with me!"

"It might be fun, though!"

"No! You were just worried about this yesterday!"

Normally, Naoto would be blushing at their position. She was laid out on the couch with Souji above her, but he was reaching for the bottle in her hand. Specifically, the hand that she was holding as far away from him as possible. One of her feet was planted firmly against his chest, the other grounded on the carpet to keep herself in place. This was her only defense against the taller Souji. Amidst his own laughter, he was quite persistent in reaching for the accursed bottle. Just then, the door opened. In her rush to grab the dye from Souji's bag, she forgot to lock the door. "Hey, guys, I was just wondering if you whaa…?"

Both Naoto and Souji looked at the visitor in surprise, freezing in place as Naoto unwittingly dropped the bottle. Chie paused at the doorway, unsure of what to say as she stared at the two on the couch. The back cushion blocked their bodies from view, so they merely looked like a tangle of limbs and blushes; a position that could, and was, very easily misinterpreted. "Well? What did they say about- oh. Oh, my."

Yukiko walked in behind her friend with Yosuke in tow, the latter laden with various bags from what seemed like a shopping trip. "Yukiko-san? What did you pause for- whoa."

Souji and Naoto hadn't moved until Yosuke walked in. By that point, a brilliant red spread across Naoto's cheeks, and she squeaked as she tried to rise, accidentally booting Souji of the couch. He fell with a dull thump, and Naoto did a double take before leaning over and stammering an apology. "I, uh, um...hello, all of you."

The three visitors could see Souji's arm come up and wave lazily before falling back to the floor as he hauled himself up. "Hey. Hey, guys."

Yosuke found his voice first. "Uh...we were gonna invite you two to lunch, but...what were you two doing?"

Naoto remembered just how they had gotten into this situation and gently elbowed Souji as he leaned over the couch. "You explain."

He scratched the back of his head in true Souji fashion and gestured lamely to begin. "Well…"

* * *

 **Sorry I've been absent for a while...inspiration was tough to find for a little bit there. I'm gradually getting back in the groove, though.**

 **Hope you enjoyed! Till next time.**


	10. Hygge

**This sat in my documents for SIX MONTHS. Goes to show I have an excellent work ethic/schedule.**

 **Anywho, I'm almost done with the next chapter of ITF, and I needed a break. Here ya go.**

 **Summer**

* * *

"Aah, it's warm today...Souji?"

Naoto undid her tie as she let herself into the apartment, briefly stopping short at the sight that greeted her. "What are you doing?"

Her voice was laced with laughter when she saw him lying on the couch, arms behind his head and a spoon in his mouth. A small tub of what looked like neopolitan ice cream was sitting on the coffee table, and the table was moved closer to the couch. The proximity seemed to make access to the treat even easier. He opened one eye and smiled upon seeing her, taking the spoon out of his mouth and waving it in greeting. "Welcome home!"

"Thank you. Would you mind telling me what you're doing?"

"Hygge. And cooling off."

"We could just turn on the AC. And...hig-what?"

"Too many other people are using the AC, don't want a power outage. And it's hygge."

"Okay...and what would that be?"

"Enjoying life. And you're back! My day just got even better!"

He reached down to scoop some of the strawberry ice cream, holding out the spoon to Naoto as she took off her vest and straightened her shirt out. His eyes shone merrily as she gave him a look, but she relented in the end. Taking the spoon, she ate the ice cream and kept the utensil in her mouth to cool down as she took off her watch and set it on the table. She sat in the chair adjacent to the couch and toed her socks off before tossing the spoon back to Souji. "Thank you."

Souji ate another bite of the vanilla and chocolate part before reclining even more on the cushions. "Mmmhm."

Naoto reached to the bottom shelf of the coffee table and picked up one of the many books waiting there. Sticky notes adorned some of the pages, and a dark blue bookmark waited for her towards the latter half. Before opening to the page it guarded, Naoto glanced up at Souji one more time. He was seemingly falling asleep, Tora nestled in his shirt and looking generally like a fuzzy, striped croissant.

She smiled. She wouldn't have it any other way.

 **Fall**

Naoto made sure Souji was asleep before fetching her laptop looking out one of the larger windows of the apartment. It was a particularly stormy night, with thunder audible in the distance and rain pouring down liberally. She closed her eyes, listened to the rain beating on the glass for a moment, and smiled.

Tonight was _perfect_.

Clambering onto one of the larger windowsills, of which she had converted into a little cove of sorts, she propped up a large pillow behind her and reclined, letting out a happy little sigh as it accepted her. She placed the laptop on the top of her lap (wow!), and put on her headphones.

She managed about an hour of peacefully typing away for her report before she heard Souji groaning from their bedroom. "Naoto?"

She glanced up at the doorway before ultimately deciding to fix the punctuation of her last sentence. Her ploy to let Souji stew over became a resounding success when he said in a more deadpan tone, "...Are you writing on the window again?"

"Indeed I am."

"Okay. Come back to bed when you're finished."

"I will."

Naoto hummed along with the song she was listening to for a few notes before smiling and going back to writing.

 **Winter**

Souji had just put his feet up on the coffee table and was about to doze off under a big, fluffy blanket when he heard someone jostling the lock to the door. Naoto burst in a moment later, releasing a shaky breath as she fumbled with the lock on the doorknob. As she turned, she saw Souji on the couch, throwing off her snow-soaked coat and jumping onto the couch. Souji moved his hand just enough to open the blanket welcomingly, an offer she took wholeheartedly as she snuggled against him. "Hey."

"Hello. Warm me up."

He needed no second bidding, pulling her close with an arm around her shoulder. After a moment, he scoffed. He ignored a jab about the day's field work, instead pointing out that, "A shower would help."

"I'm sure it would. Now stop squirming."

Ironically, she squirmed against him and buried her nose into the soft material of the blanket, closing her eyes and relaxing as feeling returned to her toes. "...I'll heat some water later."

"Thank you."

 **Spring**

"How's the book? The sequel to the Amazing Khan saga, right?"

"It's, uh...it's a book. Maybe an acquired read, but it turns up the machismo to eleven."

"I figured that was why you followed the series in the first place."

"Well...it tells me not to believe in me. It says 'believe in the Khan that believes in the you'. What does that even mean?"

"I'd say that Khan has a low opinion of you."

"Nah. Well...maybe there's some underlying message here."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah. I think I'll keep reading."

"You do that."

Souji smirked and turned a page for effect, turning it back when he thought that Naoto wasn't looking. The off-duty sleuth resumed typing away on her phone, idly scanning pages of the site she was looking at for tropes she wasn't aware of. "Rise-chan called. She wanted to go out for drinks later."

"You tell her no?"

Naoto stiffened slightly against his shoulder, shuffling away from him just enough to bring her head to his lap. "...No?"

"So you _do_ have fun when she drags you along."

"I suppose so. So do you."

"Mm. I have enough evidence of your antics, I'm good."

"You don't have-"

"You're quite the drunken master, you know? You pinned me."

"W-well, I-"

"I thought I heard you counting before you fell asleep on me."

"Well, I'm sorry. Maybe you should've stopped me."

Souji closed his book but kept a finger on the page, giving her a quizzical look as she wore a faint, teasing grin. "Oh, so now you wanna wrestle?"

"I understand if you're worried. After all, I pick up skills quite easily."

"Yeah?"

"Yes."

"Alright, then."

Souji casually dropped his book on the floor and reached down to grab her wrists. Despite her best efforts, his strength outweighed hers, so he simply pinned her hands to her chests while she squirmed in his lap. "1, 2, 3."

"Wait, I-"

"I win."

"I demand a rematch."

As soon as Souji released her she sat up and dropped her phone on the carpet. She managed to straddle his lap, but held back enough to not topple them over. "Ready?"

Souji smiled one of the rare, purely happy smiles and nodded. "As I'll ever be."

Whether it was Naoto or Souji that set the trap that the other fell into, it didn't really matter. What did was that their surroundings were forgotten for the next few minutes as they immersed themselves in a personal little world.

The match was a draw.

* * *

 **I don't feel too hot about the Spring section of this one. I'll leave the verdict to you, though.**

 **Also, if I offend my grossly misunderstanding the true meaning of Hygge, I'm sorry. I thought it was worth writing about, but I really am no expert.**

 **Till next time.**


	11. Phone-y

**Been playing Darkest Dungeon, and if you know about how the characters work in that, then you know they have both positive quirks and negative ones.**

 **We know Souji's an ace, but...what would his negative quirks be? Example, being terrible with the nuances of technology.**

* * *

It had started as a simple demonstration.

Souji had come home one day with the biggest smile on his face. It was one of those bright ones that infected those exposed to it, and Naoto found herself intrigued as to why. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out a phone that sort of did and sort of didn't look like his old one. Naoto felt a smile as Souji almost excitedly regaled her with just how the new phone came to be and how high-end it was...supposedly. "Here, want to check it out?"

Naoto put her book in her lap and smiled exasperatedly. "...Not particularly, but I'd rather not disappoint."

She took the phone and gave the new screen a few test swipes, nodding her approval at the quality. An idea popped into her head, one she decided to entertain as she quickly found the Settings app. "Oh, you can set a camera password."

"...Like I need to take a selfie to unlock my phone?"

"Yes, but without the actual taking of the picture."

A sly smile found Naoto's face as she pressed the button to set it, passing the phone to Souji when she saw the camera awaken. "Here, why don't you give it a try."

Souji accepted the phone and the challenge, giving the camera a big smile until it was able to confirm his face. Naoto felt something at the back of her mind cheer and throw confetti as he hummed slightly and commented, "Huh. That took a while."

He shut off the phone and tested the password, discovering the nuance that he had to use the same expression to unlock it. "Ah, fun. How do I turn it off?"

Naoto whistled softly and looked away, idly fingering the pages of her book as she shrugged. "Naoto?"

"Hmm…"

Of course, Naoto had to let Rise in on the little joke the next time the old team met up. Remarkably, the idol was able to hold her laughter, presumably because her senior was literally five feet away from her. However, gossip was still something that her mind compelled her to do. So she told Teddie, partly to shut him up and partly to share the wealth. Unfortunately, that led to Yosuke being let in on the joke. He then found himself asking Souji to show off his fancy new phone and the mythical…"face password".

Souji, pal that he is, obliged. But it was then, seeing his partner's face wear a happy smile just long enough for the phone to recognize it before switching back to a light frown was enough to break the dam.

Yosuke's laughter was audible throughout the food court. Souji refused to take out his phone for the rest of the meet. Then Nanako showed up. Before Souji could pull her away from the incoming shenanigans, Yosuke caught her on her way to the table and whispered something in her ear. A radiant smile, normally something Souji loved to see, instead worried him as she ran over to the table and hopped into the closest chair. "Big Bro! You got a phone that you use with your face?"

Souji groaned inwardly and shot Naoto a look as he fished out his phone. Just as he was about to unlock it, her daddy arrived. "Nanako? Oh, there you-...Souji, why are you grinning like that?"

Long day ahead, it would seem.

 **Three hours later.**

"Naoto, how do I turn this thing off?"

Naoto looked up from her laptop as Souji pulled out what the thing in question was. He swiped his thumb across the now-active screen, groaning as he realized that it wasn't that simple anymore. "Oh, I have to do this again…"

Souji swiped his thumb on the screen again and made the silly face, changing it to a scowl as soon as the "password" registered. Naoto put a hand to her mouth and snickered, but, when he looked at her with the same scowl, she sputtered and broke into a fit of giggles. Souji pocketed his phone and threw his hands up in frustration when he realized that he had just locked his phone again. By now, Naoto was full-on laughing, bent over in her seat as Souji pulled his phone back out and almost dropped it. "Can you tell how to shut it off now?

"Sh-...should I?"

She stopped laughing to observe him making the silly face at the screen again, going right back to the giggles when his face snapped back to the frown. "Oh, come on. Surely you know how to activate passwords for your phone?"

The way Souji crossed his arms and frowned- not pouted, mind you -gave Naoto all the answers she needed; she reacted accordingly, her head bowing and her shoulders shaking as she tried not to embarrass Souji further.

Her haze of joy made it difficult to notice Souji pocket his phone and swiftly make his way over to her. Before she knew it, his hands were on her hips. "No! Haha- hey!"

Souji lifted her onto his shoulder and carried her into the bedroom, dropping her unceremoniously onto the bed and crossing his arms. She smiled innocently at him as he crawled a bit closer, situating himself just above her legs so she couldn't escape easily. "I've decided I'm not telling you."

Souji raised an eyebrow and pretended to accept this tidbit before letting a wicked smile cross his face. "Was hoping you'd say that."

He let a hand drift up her side, forcing her to squirm slightly as just how feathery the contact was. She quickly deduced his scheme, fixing him with a glare as he smiled sweetly. "Don't you dare."

"Do I dare? Shall I?"

"No, you shan't."

"No?"

"No."

"Okay."

He raised the offending hand in surrender, sneaking his other down to lightly tickle her side. She yelped in surprise and bucked slightly away from the attacker. "S-stop that."

"Hmm?"

Both of his hands dove down to dance along her sides, coaxing a stuttering laugh out of her as she tried to move her legs to push him off. His position made it difficult to do so, and she felt a laugh bubble out of her as she tried to fend of his tickle assault. "Ha- Souji! Stop-"

"Tickling? Ehh…"

Naoto felt herself tearing up as he skillfully attacked her weak sides, laughter flowing out of her liberally as she tried to squirm out of his grasp. "Feel like telling me now?"

"Settings! G-go into Settings and Security!"

Souji ceased his onslaught, keeping Naoto's wrists pinned above her head as she pulled in some much-needed breath. He used his tickling hand to pull his phone out of his pocket, making a point of turning his head away from her to provide the password. Unfortunately, the camera still gave her a view of his face, and she failed to hold back a gasp of laughter as Souji fumbled through that phone's dastardly menus. "Stop that."

Souji's voice was strained, but Naoto felt it was because he was holding back his own laughter rather than actually being upset. He found the menu to disable the password, showing the accursed camera the smile one last time to turn it off for good. "Was that so hard?"

Naoto sighed and turned on her side as Souji got off of her, smiling innocently at him as he dropped his phone on the bedside cabinet. "A tad. Happy now?"

He planted a kiss on her forehead and made to leave the room. "Now? Yeah, sure. Catch your breath."

She watched him go, flopping onto her back and giggling weakly. She'd find a way to get him back.

* * *

 **I tried using a picture password once. Having to look at my own silly mug for two seconds just to unlock a phone was too much work for too much awkwardness.**

 **Hope you enjoyed. Next chapter of ITF is in the works, along with something for Metal Gear and what I think will be a three-chapter story for Persona. Slowly, but surely, huh?**

 **Till next time!**


	12. Lap Time

**So I wrote a few stories where Souji ends up on Naoto's lap, yeah? Let's take that to the extreme.**

* * *

It had become a running gag between Chie and Yosuke to play rock-paper-scissors whenever they were visiting Souji's shared apartment. Ever since those shenanigans where they found him wrestling with Naoto on the couch, an incident that had been justified but still left Yukiko with the impression that the two were somewhat perverted, it fell on Chie and Yosuke to venture in and visit.

Predictably, Yosuke lost every time.

Souji had entrusted him with a spare key a while back, and instructions not to use it unless it was an emergency or if knocking once was met with no answer. So here he was, unlocking the door. This time, however, Naoto answered vocally.

"Hey, I- oh."

"Good evening, Yosuke-san."

By now, this was a familiar sight. Souji had his head nestled in Naoto's lap, peacefully napping away while the detective was going through what looked like a brand-new book, if the pristine spine was any indication. "How are you?"

"Huh- oh. I'm good, thanks. I, er...wanted to drop by and ask if you two were still on for dinner in Okina today."

"Oh, yes. Souji-kun was very excited about it."

"...So….should we, like...meet you two there?"

"Ah, we can go together if you don't mind."

"Sure, sure, but Souji's kinda…"

"Oh, he does this all the time," She nodded affirmatively and gently pinched Souji's cheek. "Time to go, Souji-kun."

Weirdly enough (or perhaps not, thought Yosuke), Souji woke up rather quickly from that specific gesture. He blinked a few times, smiled sleepily at Naoto, then noticed Yosuke staring in awe. "Hey, buddy. It's time already, huh?"

And that was only the beginning, it would seem.

"So, is you just using Naoto-kun as a pillow some thing you two just...y'know, do?"

Souji looked up from his glass of water and shrugged. The smirk on Yosuke's face practically screamed that he wanted to embarass his partner in front of the whole crew. Instead, he smiled lightly and took another sip. "Well, yeah. Lap time."

Rise nudged and grinned at Naoto, who refused to answer by staring intently at the restaurant's menu. "Did I hear you right? 'Lap time'?"

Souji nodded wistfully and smiled at Yukiko, as if he was looking forward to the next opportunity. "Yup. It's like I can just come home and my worries just fly away."

Souji sighed, smiling in apparent serenity at the thought. The girls of the table turned to face Naoto, wearing expressions with varying degrees of sympathy, shock, and amusement. Naoto made an embarrassed little noise and hid her face behind the menu, lightly kicking Souji under the table. He either rolled with it or didn't notice, because he waved a waiter over when it looked like everyone was ready. Unfortunately, that meant that the menus would be collected. Naoto looked down sheepishly when Rise nudged her again, looking pointedly at her leg and grinning. "Lap time, huh?"

"Can we please not discuss this now?"

 **One week later.**

"I don't know if Sherlock Holmes would want to investigate how the Feathermen amassed their arsenal."

"Naoto, they have to cause millions of yen in property damage. And that laser bow? Don't tell me that hasn't been used for murder. Remember in season three when-"

The door opened, revealing Yosuke and Rise, the latter of which was holding a camera. Naoto raised an eyebrow at that but didn't comment. The idol snapped a picture while Yosuke sighed, waving to Souji. "Hey. You caught me in the middle of lap time."

"...You mean 'nap time'?"

"Heh, nope."

"Is this normal for you two?"

Souji looked up and gave a nonchalant flick of his wrist. "Yeah."

Naoto simply turned a page in her book and said nothing; it was as if Souji's answer summed everything up perfectly. Which...well, Yosuke didn't feel the same. Rise, to his dismay, seemed contented by the reasoning. "What's the camera for anyway? You didn't say anything when I came to get you."

"Yosuke-senpai, this is a phenomenon in action! It looks like Senpai can fall asleep no matter what if he just has the lap pillow that is Naoto-kuuuun…"

"...What?"

"Quiet, I'm documenting."

Souji looked into the lens and sighed deeply before nuzzling into Naoto's thigh and closing his eyes. Naoto hummed sympathetically and ran her fingers through his hair soothingly. As the two visitors bickered about Rise's research, Naoto leaned down and murmured, "I believe you were about to feed me some theory about what happened in the finale of season three?"

Souji's couldn't help but smile.

 **Two weeks later.**

Despite Rise's rather impressive photography and increasingly nonsensical hypotheses (one of which included Naoto actually being part mattress), Yosuke found that he was getting nowhere. Every time he came to visit, by some stroke of luck (or misfortune, he wasn't sure anymore), he always ended up a witness to Souji napping away on Naoto's lap. By now, Yosuke was damn sure Souji's head spent more time on his girlfriend's lap than an actual pillow. When he posed the question to Souji, he simply laughed to himself and neatly skirted around actually answering.

It came to a head when he found Naoto napping away on Souji's lap. Because why not, apparently.

All things considered, it looked pretty cute. Her hair was brushed aside, presumably by Souji, and she was curled up under a warm looking blanket. "Sorry, partner. Guess you caught up during lap time again-"

"It's not- stop calling it lap time! That's not even a thing! It's called nap time!"

Souji made to speak but paused when Yosuke pointed a finger at him...then another that wasn't usually used for pointing. He grinned and fell silent. "I know you're gonna go like, 'Silly Yosuke, I'm using her lap so it's obviously lap time, isn't it?' NO!"

Souji tried to say something again, but Yosuke held up a palm and shook his head. "I know- she's napping on you, this time. But it's the _principle_ of it, man!"

"...Sorry…?"

"Chie doesn't even-" Yosuke paused, shooting Souji a suspicious look. "Y'know what, you don't get the satisfaction."

"Wasn't gonna say anything."

"...Anyway. Rise wanted me to deliver this to Naoto."

He dropped a cheekily pink envelope on the kitchen counter. "That's all from me. I'm goin' home."

"Let me know how it goes."

Souji smiled mysteriously at his friend as he raised a quizzical eyebrow. When he knew he would get no further answers, he shrugged and made to leave. When the door shut, Naoto carefully opened her eyes and sighed deeply. "Sorry. He woke you, huh?"

"...I think he's jealous."

"Yee-up."

 **Elsewhere.**

Chie glanced worriedly at the door as she heard the clock ticking out the minutes before Yosuke got home. She fidgeted uneasily, straightening out her skirt and looking around for something to make it look like she wasn't simply sitting around. She just found a book and flipped to a random page as she heard the door unlocking, her heart skipping a beat as she realized just what she was getting into. Yosuke let himself in and shut the door with a sigh. "Hey."

"Hey, um...hey. You sound tired."

"Ehh, just been a long day. We have any plans for tonight?"

"No, just...dinner, I guess. Listen, um...do you want to...I dunno." She swallowed nervously as Yosuke tried to understand what she was getting at. "Do you want to lay down or something?"

"Well, I could, but I don't want to make the bed again."

"That's fine, I just meant- I meant maybe you could...lay down here."

She awkwardly patted her leg and managed an awkward smile. Yosuke seemed stunned by the offer, dropping his jacket on a chair as he made to sit next to her...How the hell did this come so naturally to Souji?

Never mind.

"Well...sure! I mean, if you don't mind."

Chie nodded, more to herself than to Yosuke, and patted her leg again. Yosuke coughed to clear his throat, looking her in the eye for confirmation before carefully leaning down to rest his head in her lap. Chie, left with no way to put her hands back on her lap, gently put her hand on Yosuke's head, settling into a slow rhythm of stroking his hair. "I-is this okay?"

Yosuke felt his shoulders relax, sighing slowly as he nodded against her leg. "...Yeah."

 **The next morning.**

"Rise-chan, I saw your letter-"

Naoto stopped short, eyes narrowed and mouth slightly agape at the sight that greeted her. An unnecessarily elaborate crime board was situated in the middle of the room. Pinned to it were numerous pictures of Souji napping on Naoto's lap, and there were plenty of scribbles detailing notes and, more bizarrely, mattress brands. "Welcome, Naoto-kun,"

Rise was wearing a lab coat, which was odd in and of itself, and a pair of glasses that looked similar to her TV ones. "I invited you here today to get to the bottom of this...lap time."

"What?"

"Naoto-kun, this is important. Now, I borrowed some of the sample mattresses from Junes, I would like you to test them and let me know which is most similar to Souji's leg."

"...What?"

"Of course, I'll call Souji another time for him to do the same, but I figured that you'd be more receptive to this."

"..."

Rise looked up and adjusted her glasses in a business-like manner. "The sooner we start, the sooner I can compile the necessary data!"

Naoto slowly backed towards the door, and just as her hand reached the doorknob was when Rise stood. "Ready to start? Wait, Naoto-kun, where are you going? Naoto!"

* * *

 **So...you ever have something like lap time?**


	13. A New Year Approaches

**My fault for not preparing in advance, so I'll keep it short and sweet.**

 **If you squint, you can squeeze this into Radiant Affection's nebulous timeline. The story's not something I've forgotten, it's just...something. I'll see if I can continue it.**

 **Enough from me. Enjoy the read, short as it is.**

* * *

"Naoto-kun? Not joining the party?"

"Not quite yet. I wanted to take in some air that wasn't laced with alcohol."

"Hehe, sorry about that. I figured it would fit."

Naoto turned her head and smiled gently at her long-time friend. "Don't be. It does fit nicely."

"I bet that's not the only thing that fits nicely."

The detective paused while she stared at the sky, looking at Rise quizzically after a solid moment. "Please tell me-"

"It's not a dirty joke. I meant that, you pervert."

Naoto adjusted the bottle in her hand and looked at the gently shining ring on her finger. Her mind briefly wandered to the day of before she filed the memory away and nodded wistfully. "Oh, Rise-chan...forgive me for sounding silly, but...I can feel my heart just swell every time I look at my hand. It fits perfectly."

"Can I look?"

Naoto didn't answer vocally, simply offering her hand to Rise to inspect. True, it would be more efficient to simply take it off and give it to her, but it felt wrong. It left a bad taste in Naoto's mouth, and Rise must have understood that, as she didn't complain. "It's beautiful."

"Thank you."

"Aw, thanks. It took me a long time to pick that particular style."

The two turned to see Souji walking up, a can of soda in hand and a dopey smile on his face. "Honestly, I'm glad you like it, both of you."

"Are you planning on proposing to me next?"

Souji's smile turned gentle. "I'll have to find another special ring, then. Maybe not tonight."

Rise indulged him with a light laugh, dancing around his side to pull him into an affectionate hug. "And here I was thinking you were prepared to deal with me, too!"

"I'll always deal with you."

"Daww, thanks, Senpai!"

Souji glanced briefly at Naoto as he returned the hug with his free hand, silently relaying the message that he wanted to talk. It was also the kind of look that said he could wait; truly, a strange combination. It would seem that delivery of the message had fallen unto Naoto's shoulders. "...Rise, if you don't mind-"

"Leaving. Already gone."

Rise seemed to pick up on Souji's cue even faster than Naoto, ducking under his arm and gracefully backing away. The detective assumed she was going to get drunk and mess with Kanji. "Thanks."

"You're better with words than I. Why wait?"

"Needed a scapegoat."

"Right, of course."

He leaned on the rail of the surrounding fence, sidling close enough to feel Naoto's shoulder against his and the subtle warmth it brought. "Were you actually worried that I wouldn't like the ring?"

"Oh, I was terrified. I was quaking in my boots that night."

"Well, I hope I was able to put your worries to rest."

Souji smiled and watched as Daidara bickered with his uncle of the safety concerns of his special fireworks. Wouldn't be long now. "Not gonna drink?"

"I would like to remember tonight, of all times."

"I getcha. Ready for a new year."

"I don't think that time cares whether or not I'm ready."

"Oddly reserved. But are you ready?"

"Oh, yes."

The comfortable silence that fell doubled as Naoto's permission to rest her head on his shoulder, and he let his arm reach around her as he heard the countdown and subsequent goodbye to the past year.

And then it was over.

They watched the fireworks, a theatrical dance of dazzling colors and beautiful shapes streaming across the stars. Cheers rang out from family and friend alike, whistles and music creating a wonderful cacophony of happiness as Souji let a smile cross his face, saying, "Looking forward to the next year."

"Looking forward to the next decade."

Souji glanced to his side, taking in the serene smile on Naoto's face as she took in the night air, and smiled. Everything about her was perfect in his eyes, and he decided that her veiled promise of commitment sounded rather nice. "Definitely."

* * *

 **Happy New Year, all. Stay safe.**


	14. An Eventful Morning

**I've come to a realization...I LOVE writing about mornings.**

* * *

Naoto opened the apartment door on the first ring of the doorbell, offering a friendly smile to the girl waiting outside the door. "Good morning, Chie-sen-"

She stopped short as Chie crossed her arms with a smug smirk. Naoto's shoulder sagged, but she held up her hands and relented with a smile. "Chie-san."

"That's better! You ready to go?"

"Give me just a minute. I want to let Souji-kun know I'll be heading out."

Chie nodded quickly and fished a pair of orange earbuds out of her pocket. "Sure, sure. Take your time!"

Naoto ducked her head in thanks and quickly stepped back into the apartment. As she headed to her shared bedroom, she stopped to look in the mirror. A sheepish smile found her face as she took in her own appearance. Her shoulder-length hair was tied in a ponytail, and her navy track pants fit rather nicely white of her t-shirt. A good few years ago, and she never would have considered going for a morning run with a good friend. The thought turned her slightly embarrassed smile to a warmer, happy one.

Remembering that said friend was still waiting snapped Naoto back into gear, so she padded into the bedroom and quietly sat down next to the form still curled up in bed. She gently pushed Souji's shoulder and leaned close to whisper in his ear. "Sou-kun, wake up, please."

He shuddered at the feeling of her breath brushing past his ear, looking up at her with sleepy eyes. "'Sou-kun'...please tell me you're not drunk again…"

Naoto smiled softly, kissing his forehead reassuringly. "I'm not, lucky you. I just wanted to tell you I was going for a jog with Chie-san."

Souji smiled at just how natural that sounded coming out of her mouth. It was enough for him, so he nodded. "Mhm, have fun. Stay safe."

"Mm." She leaned down to kiss his cheek and tousled his hair with a fond smile. "I'll be back."

Souji offered one last smile before closing his eyes again and snuggling into the blankets. Naoto stood, choosing not to tease him about how he was cuddling her pillow to him as if his sleep depended on it. Rather, she headed back to the door, pulling it open, grabbing her shoes and a bottle of water. "I apologize for the wait."

Chie watched her lock the apartment door and hastily slip on her shoes, placing a calming hand on the detective's shoulder. She took one of her headphones off before saying, "Don't worry 'bout it. Just take your time, you messed up your shoelace."

"Huh?" Naoto looked down at her shoe, quickly undoing the messy knot and getting to work again, a healthy blush painting her cheeks. "R-right. Sorry."

Chie waited until Naoto was properly ready before offering to put the bottle in the drawstring bag she thoughtfully brought along. "Thank you."

"Mhm! Whenever you're ready to go."

"I think I am. A-am I ready?"

Chie judiciously looked Naoto up and down, nodding to herself and circling around her. Finally, she playfully tugged the detective's cheeks and grinned. "You're looking good. Managing to look cute and ready for action at the same time, I'm jealous!"

Naoto blushed again, carefully pulling her friend's hands off her face. "I-I see. Well, in that case, shall we go?"

"Eeyep. Come on, we'll start slow."

Chie set off without another word, leaving Naoto to follow. She did, of course, although she had a bit of trouble keeping pace with the officer-in-training. She took all of Chie's advice in stride, however, and the run quickly changed from a grueling gauntlet into a rather fun little opportunity to chat. "I'm surprised you wanted to come with me for a run, Naoto-kun! Normally, that's a Rise thing."

"Oh? She's accompanied you, as well?"

"Yep! She always burns out 'cause she keeps dancing around. Been getting better about that, though."

"Hmm. How often does she tag along?"

"Eh, whenever she feels like. I'm sure if she knew you were joining me, she'd definitely show up."

Chie topped off the statement with a goofy wink, drawing a light laugh out of Naoto as they turned a street corner, heading towards the local park. "I'll consider asking her."

Over the next twenty minutes, Naoto adjusted quickly, her ability to adapt quickly as a Shirogane kicking in as the two went on. It was then they took a break on at a bench that Chie decided to steer the conversation towards something that had been poking at her for a while, not that it had come to mind. "Y'know, Naoto-kun…"

"Hm?" Naoto glanced at her as she drank from her bottle, quickly pulling it from her mouth and hastily wiping it to pay attention. "Sorry. You were asking me something?"

"You can do _backflips_. Like-like it's no problem."

"...I can- oh. You're referring to when I had to fight during the P-1 incident."

"Yeah. You're pretty nonchalant about it, all things considered."

"Well, I wouldn't call my label my method of getting distance a backflip. It's more along the lines of a cartwheel."

"Ehh, your hand barely touched the floor if I remember right. And you nailed the landing, too!"

"I get the feeling you're trying to rile me up…"

"A little." Chie grinned and playfully nudged Naoto's shoulder. "Why did you ask to join me on my morning runs? You can prob'ly cartwheel circles around me!"

"Well, you don't have to rub it in."

"Want to practice, then? We can turn your cartwheel into a backflip proper!"

"I-I think I'm alright."

"C'mon! I'll do it with ya. Wouldn't want me to look silly all by my lonesome, would ya?"

Naoto sighed, placing her bottle down on the bench. She nodded her acceptance of the circumstances and stood. "I feel like I have underestimated your cunning."

What followed was an impromptu contest to see who could pull off a backflip. Naoto threw herself off the ground, planting a palm against the gravel of the path to provide the impetus she needed to land safely. Her hand shot quickly to her hip, but she remembered quickly that she was both not armed and not in a dangerous situation. She sheepishly lowered her arm to her side and stood. "Eheh...oops."

Chie grinned and nodded her approval, her hands clapping enthusiastically at the display. "That's what I'm talkin' about! Now, my turn-"

"Whoa, are those girls breakdancing?!"

"What?"

The shout caught the attention of almost everyone in the little park, and, amidst the red the flushed her face, Naoto thought she caught a sight of orange and brown ducking behind a tree. Well then. At least she wouldn't have to look far to dispense with her wrath. "You remember how to dance?"

Naoto looked up at Chie, pursing her lips and slowly shaking her head. "Well, yes, but...you aren't thinking what I think you are...right?"

"Eh, why not? It'll be a great way to loosen up. You've never done this before?"

"...No."

"First time for everything! C'mon, let's do this! Just like the whole dancing thing before!"

Naoto ducked her head, not out of embarrassment, but to hide her laughter. Well, she'd made it this far. May as well go all in. "Hm. Very well, then." Naoto stood, bumped fists with Chie and shouted, "Start the music!"

 **One Hour Later.**

"Hey, welcome home! Chie, you come in, too. Both of you look exhausted, what happened?"

Naoto kicked her shoes off and grinned happily at Souji, stumbling into him to give him a warm hug. "Ask Chie-san. Would you mind bringing me some water?"

"Sure. Chie?"

"I could use some too, thanks."

Souji nodded, ducking into the kitchen as the two girls flopped onto the couch, Naoto undoing her ponytail and tossing the tie onto the coffee table. "Aah, I cannot believe we did that."

"Nah, totally worth it."

Naoto rested her head against the cushions, gazing to the ceiling with a small smile. "I suppose so."

"Here you go. Now, tell me if I'm wrong, and by me I mean the media, but is this real? 'Cause that's sort of awesome."

Souji swiped a few things on his tablet and showed the two the headlines of the article he had opened. Naoto took a sip of her water and, to his surprise, shrugged rather nonchalantly. "Actually, yes. That is a legitimate account of what happened."

Chie grinned at the story, nodding eagerly and taking a drink. "Yeah! 'Disco in Downtown Okina', I like the sound of that. Check it out, there's even a picture!"

Souji sat down next to Naoto despite her warning that she was still sweaty from the morning workout, putting a comforting arm around her shoulder as he angled the screen so that the three could see the picture. It showed a crowd gallivanting and having a generally good time, but at the center of it was Naoto and Chie, arms thrown around each other's shoulders as they rested on the park bench with wide, happy smiles on both their faces. Souji smiled and patted Naoto's arm. "Aw, that's cute."

"SENPAI!"

Rise burst in the doorway, stumbling into the apartment but stopping short when she saw the three on the couch grinning at the tablet. Holding up her phone, the idol babbled out, "Is this real?! I-I mean, I don't think - But you two were in the picture, and- and-"

"Rise-chan," Naoto chided gently and urged her best friend to sit down. "Please take a breath. The story is real."

Rise visibly squirmed in her seat, clearly trying to contain her excitement before she blurted, "Wow."

Naoto cocked her head quizzically as she waited for Rise to say something more. "Why didn't you invite me?"

* * *

 **While it may not be probable that Naoto'd go along with an impromptu dance in the streets, I'm tellin' ya; time with Souji can really make your personality more lax. Ehehe.**

 **I was reviewing the Ultimax cast's Dustloop pages and read that Naoto's Anti-S SP Pistol is one of the best supers in the game. Stupid of me, but the first thought that went through my head was "HAHA, best girl".**

 **Speaking of that type of talk, it's Zanmat0 story time. I figured I'd share this eventually.**

I was already incredibly fond of Naoto throughout my playthrough of P4G, but I think what really clinched it for me was one of the optional conversations you could have with her pre-Valentine's' Day. She went on about the making of chocolate for the day, then she did the thing. A little heart appeared over her head and she said she'd try her best. Not gonna lie, I was rolling around in my bed and squealing a little because of how damn cute it was. I'm pretty sure she never does the heart emote thing in _any_ other conversation in the game.

The Detective Princess was in loooove with Souji.

I normally don't react in any outwardly extreme way when I play a game, but she got me. Shot to the heart, all that.

 **That's all for story time. I WANT that to happen again in P5. I'm not sure it's gonna top what I just talked about, but let's see. Uuuugh, I want P5 to be here already…**

 **Hope you enjoyed. Have a great one.**


	15. An Eventful Morning: Epilogue

_Pi-pi-pi-pi-pi…_

"I think that's you."

Souji turned the volume down on the TV as Naoto fished her phone out of her pocket, putting it to her ear as soon as she saw Minoru Shirogane's name on the screen. "Your grandfather…?"

Naoto nodded slowly before saying, "Hello? Grandpa?"

" _Naoto Shirogane, either you have a twin sister or I have reason to be..._ very _surprised with you."_

Uh-oh. Naoto bit her lip and shot Souji a worried look as she cleared her throat to speak. "U-um, well...I'm certain I do not have a twin sister, so…"

" _...You're mumbling, Nao-chan."_

Souji watched her wince, reaching over to squeeze her hand with a small frown. Minoru was being awfully strict. He briefly wondered if a talk with the elder Shirogane was necessary. "I apologize. That was my friend and I in that picture."

" _Satonaka-san, correct?"_

"Y-...yes. Now, I know you do not-"

" _Come to the estate. Bring your_ _fiancé, bring your friends...just be certain that Satonaka-san comes with you."_

Naoto's eyes narrowed, her grandfather's words bothering her more than she let on. "Grandpa, if you intend to punish my friends for something that I instigated of my own volition, then I'm afraid I must refuse."

" _...Punish?"_

"Is that not what you intend to do? I will not allow you to bully my friends because I chose to accompany them on a-"

" _Wait, wait, Nao-chan. Whatever do you mean by 'punish' and 'bully'? I merely wanted to congratulate your friends over dinner!"_

"...Huh?"

Naoto quietly switched the call to speakerphone and scooted closer to Souji, placing the phone in his lap and snuggling against his chest. He smiled, wrapping both arms around her in a tight hug before settling for keeping her close with an arm around her shoulder. " _I'm quite impressed, you see. I have never, in all my years, seen you so very happy! Even when you brought along Souji-san for the weekend, and you were practically glowing!"_

Naoto bit back a squeak as she remembered the particular shenanigans that occurred during the last time she brought Souji to the Shirogane estate. "I-I suppose I can try and gather everyone…"

" _Excellent! I will have Yakushiji make the necessary preparations!"_

"Wait, when should I notify them…?"

" _I believe this weekend would be wonderful. Is that alright for you?"_

"I, um...I suppose that's fine."

" _Good! I will see you all come Saturday!"_

"I-...Yes, alright. Goodbye, Grandpa."

The call ended, leaving Naoto to drop her phone on the carpet and hugging Souji. "...He's inviting us to dinner."

"Yeah, that was...I thought that was going in a whole different direction."

"I suppose we should pack appropriately. Would you mind calling the others and letting them know?"

"Mhm."

He held her close, placing a soft kiss on the back of her neck. Naoto sighed softly, reaching behind her to grasp his hair. Souji smiled against her skin, slowly dotting pecks along her shoulder. She suddenly gasped in surprise when he bit her ear. "Souji?"

"Eh, I was just thinking about the last time I was at the estate."

His tone was low, hinting that he was thinking the same thing as Naoto. "O-oh…"

Souji pushed her against the cushions of the couch, briefly pinning her hands before lacing their fingers together. "W-we should be preparing for the visit."

Despite herself, Naoto was smiling softly, a warm blush on her face as her breath quickened slightly. Souji simply smiled back, leaning down to kiss her again.

* * *

 **Y'know...one of the best, one of my favorite parts of writing stories is the construction of your own little universe. You can take a template of sorts, in my case being Souji/Naoto, and then you just build on it. You flesh them out, you build their lives, and then you get to this point, or perhaps I'm just speaking from my own narrow-minded view...Well, you get to this point where you just feel good writing about these people that you've built an attachment to.**

 **Tis grand, quite grand.**


End file.
